• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

DEAD SEA SCROLLS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

August 13, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Qumran, Palestine

Dead Sea Scrolls

Qumran Caves (wikipedia.com)

In 1947, a Beduoin shepherd seeking some stray sheep accidentally stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time: a series of caves containing an astonishing collection of ancient scrolls, including some of the earliest known editions of several books of the Hebrew Bible.  These writings, now collectively known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, are among the most important surviving documents of early Judaism, and have become immensely valuable to both Jewish and Christian religious scholars of the modern age.  Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls archaeological site is located, has drawn hordes of archaeologists, historians, scientists and the curious ever since.

History

The history of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls is closely bound to the early Jewish sect known as the Essenes.  The origins of this mysterious group of religious ascetics are shrouded in myth.  Some scholars have theorized that the Essenes may have existed as early as the Assyrian or Babylonian captivities, though archaeological and historical evidence suggests that they were formed much later.  Either way, the Essene sect seems to have formed as a rejection of the corrupt practices of Judea’s official religious leaders, in particular the Sanhedrin priests.

Evincing a lifestyle reminiscent of later Christian monastic orders, the Essenes espoused communal living and kindness to their fellow men as being more important than strict obeyance to the often senseless laws and customs enforced by the Sanhedrin.  They rejected such practices as slave ownership and animal sacrifice.  It is unknown if their beliefs put them at serious odds with the religious leaders of the day, but in all likelihood, it did.  It is possibly for this reason that the majority of the Essenes lived in small, isolated villages near the shore of the Dead Sea.  The most famous of these was the settlement at Qumran.

The Essenes were apparently most active during the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.  It has been argued that John the Baptist was a devotee of this sect.  It is not a stretch to assume that the beliefs and practices of the Essenes had a profound influence on the foundation of Christianity.  The sect died out in the 2nd century AD possibly because its members were absorbed into the early Christian church.  More likely they were simply driven out or broken up by the Roman authorities after the Jewish revolts.

Despite being prominently mentioned by writers of the day such as Flavius Josephus, the Essenes were largely forgotten by the end of the Byzantine period.  They might have remained forgotten if not for the curious discovery of a vast cache of scrolls in the area around Qumran, the traditional home of the Essenes.  Scholarly investigations have led to the conclusion that these ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ were once part of the Essenes’ collection.  These writings have since proved immensely helpful for religious scholars in understanding the development of the Hebrew Bible.  Thus this little-known Jewish sect is responsible for providing the modern religious world with one of the most important archaeological finds of all time.

Visiting

The Qumran archaeological site is located inside the Qumran National Park and includes the ruins of the old Essene settlement and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  Excavations of the ruins have uncovered the remains of homes, a library, and buildings where pottery was manufactured.  There are also quite a number of cisterns and baths used for the frequent ritual cleansings with which the Essenes were apparently obsessed.

The cliffs around the settlement are riddled with caves.  To date, scrolls and other ancient artifacts have been found in eleven different locations.  The most important one was cave four, which was found to have well over a hundred Old Testament scrolls among other writings.  Cave six is the most accessible and thus the most visited.

Qumram is located in the West Bank, twenty-five miles due west of Jerusalem on the shore of the Dead Sea.  The Qumram caves are operated by the Israeli Park Service, and though it is an open site, access to the area is through a main visitors center.  Qumram is open April through September from 8:00am-5:00pm; and October through March from 8:00am-4:00pm.  Admission cost is NIS18 for adults.  Web: www.goisrael.com (official tourism website of Israel)

Other Sites

The Dead Sea Scrolls have long since been removed to other locations for translation, preservation and study.  The majority of the collection is now housed in the Shrine of the Book in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  Only a small selection of the collection is on display at any given time.  Other museums around the world display part of the collection as well, including the Archaeological Museum in Amman, Jordan and the Jewish Museum in New York City.

Filed Under: Historic Bible, Jewish Tagged With: Palestine

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.